


Whirlwind

by tabula_rasa



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, Thor (Movies) RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-07
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2017-11-24 02:00:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/629080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabula_rasa/pseuds/tabula_rasa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She didn't believe in love or happily ever afters. Then she met him; Tom Hiddleston.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm dying to catch my breath

**Author's Note:**

> This story is also posted on Mibba. I'll add the other chapters as I see fit, and then it'll probably be updated slowly cause I'm lazy. Enjoy!

I believed in a lot of things; working hard, being kind, and making the most of what you are given are just a few things that stuck out in my mind. I didn’t believe in things such as dreams coming true or happily ever after. 

And I knew exactly where these beliefs came from. I suppose that it started when my parents divorced and continued on when my father left my mother and I broke and ended when my mother died from breast cancer. Nothing in my life had come easy. Iwas thrown into adulthood at a young age, though I managed to make it through high school and surprisingly college.

I had started working to help my mom at the age of fifteen, studying and doing homework in the hours I had free between getting off from work and going to school. Many were surprised that I tried so hard, managed to continue on once my mother was gone. I clawed my way to the top, tirelessly working and fighting my way through life, trying to get through each day. I had to. 

I was determined to have an easy future, give my children (if I ever had any) a good life. Life had been difficult for me so far, and I didn’t want my children to sacrifice their childhood for my sake. I didn’t think anyone should go through what I had to, struggling day in and day out. It was no way to live.

Somehow, through everything, I had managed to stay strong and had been able to hold myself together. It wasn’t until the day after I graduated from college, now the proud owner of a bachelor’s degree in psychology that I broke down.

I paced around my small apartment, tugging at my dark hair as I finally cried. Cried for my parents’ divorce, my father not supporting me or my mother in any way, my mother dying, not being able to have a normal life. Everything crashed down around me, and I worried that I had nothing to show for everything except a good amount of money in a savings account and my bachelor’s degree. This is where my adult life should have started, where I should have started worrying about a real job. But all I wanted to do was get away.

Making a rash decision, which is something I never did, I found myself at the airport, suitcase packed and a plane ticket to London clutched in my hand. I would do something for myself for once, go somewhere I wanted to go, and not worry about anyone or anything. I was going to take a much needed vacation from reality.

\---

I had a boyfriend once, someone I thought I could love. But after taking my virginity before dumping me, and the thought of my parents’ failed marriage always looming in the back of my mind, I figured love wasn’t for me. Besides, who knew if love even existed with the amount of divorces there were nowadays.

Though I knew some people would beg to differ, I wouldn’t consider myself a slut or a whore. I was comfortable enough with myself to sleep around, when I felt the need to. For me it was a way to relax, to let loose, and just get some human contact. Nothing more. I did have some needs that needed to be met on occasion. Besides, I was always safe, condoms and birth control well stocked in my apartment.

When my plane landed in London, a sort of panic started to settle over me. This is why I usually thought things over before doing them. Of course the first time in my life I don’t think about what I’m doing, I end up in a strange country by myself, not knowing anyone. No one even knew I was here; not that I had anyone to tell. Maybe Colin because I liked to sleep with him once in a while (he was good in bed and I wasn’t ready to part with him yet).

When I finally made it out of the airport, I was glad to see that there were plenty of cabs around, willing to drive me somewhere… Even if I had no idea where I was going.

“Where to?” the driver of the first cab I came to said as I slid into the back seat with my luggage.

“Um, honestly I’m not sure,” I said, embarrassed that I hadn’t at least had a hotel in mind. “A nice, but reasonably priced hotel would be great, if you know any off the top of your head.”

“I know of a few,” he said, pulling away from the airport. I couldn’t help but feel impressed by his driving. It was just strange to think of driving on the opposite side of the road as well as being on the opposite side of the car. I also couldn’t help but feel relieved that there were taxi’s here and that I wouldn’t need to rent a car.

I leaned back in my seat, looking out my window, trying to relax. I was on vacation for the first time in my life, and I should make the best of it. I took a few deep, relaxing breaths, taking in the sights as they flashed by the window. 

_I deserve this_ , I thought. I smiled to myself before realizing I hardly ever seemed to smile. My smile grew. Why couldn’t I be happy for once? There was nothing wrong with it. Maybe if I was lucky, I’d meet some people here… maybe make a new friend.

I didn’t really have any friends back home. I hung out in a few different groups once in a while but I always felt awkward and they always seemed to have an inside joke that I didn’t get. I was sure if I had had a normal life that I would feel hurt and left out, but I was used to it by now. It’s just how my life went.

“We’re here, miss,” the cab driver stated as the car came to a stop. I pulled out my money, glad I had had enough sense to get it changed to the correct currency. 

“Thank you,” I said, handing him the money and getting out onto the sidewalk in front of a hotel that looked pretty nice. I headed inside and straight to the front desk.

The woman behind the desk smiled at me as I approached.

“How can I help you?” she asked. If I was going to be completely honest, my favorite thing about this trip so far was the British accents… there was just something about them.

“Hi,” I said. “I was wondering if you had any rooms available?”

“Let me check,” the woman asked. I saw her nametag, noting that her name was Elizabeth. After a few clicks on a computer mouse and the clacking of the keyboard, Elizabeth looked at me and smiled. “We have a single suite available. It’s a bit more than just a single room, but I can guarantee it’s worth it.”

“That’s fine,” I answered. I had saved up quite a bit of money over the years; for what, I wasn’t sure.

“Wonderful,” Elizabeth said. “I just need a credit card-- and how long will you be staying?”

“Oh, um,” I started, trying to think quickly. I’d have to remind myself not to do spur of the moment things ever again. “Two weeks should be good.”

I pulled out my credit card and handed it to Elizabeth. A few minutes later and I was being handed my room key and being told to enjoy my stay.

I headed for the elevators and when I stepped into one, I saw the hotel had ten floors. Checking my room number, I pushed the button for the eighth floor.

 

When I finally got to my room, pushed the door open, and flipped on a nearby switch, I was surprised by the spacious room in front of me. I couldn’t help but think that this was actually nicer than my own apartment and I had every intention of enjoying it as much as possible. 

In front of me was a comfortable looking living room, a few comfy looking chairs and a couch facing a large flat screen TV that was attached to the wall. To my right was a very small kitchen, but a kitchen nonetheless. I figured I could cook a few meals for myself there so I wouldn’t have to eat out all the time. To the left, there was a door, behind which was the bedroom. Forgetting my suitcase in the doorway to the bedroom I went to the queen sized bed and fell back onto it, closing my eyes when I felt how comfortable it was.

I sat up after a moment and headed back into the main room. I spotted another door and when I opened it, I found the bathroom. 

I smiled to myself as I glanced back around my room. I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy this.


	2. I could hear the sound of your voice still ringing in my ear

I unpacked my suitcase into the closet in the bedroom before deciding to do some nearby wandering seeing as it was still light out. I could also look for someplace to eat… I was getting hungry.

When I exited the hotel, I looked at the surrounding buildings and shops, trying to decide which direction to go. Finally I turned and followed the sidewalk to the right. I inspected the buildings closely, looking at the window displays of the stores, mentally deciding which one’s I’d have to come back to and check out. 

It didn’t take me long to find a small restaurant that looked like someplace I wouldn’t mind sitting by myself to eat. I didn’t mind eating by myself. I was used to it back home. But this was in public and in a foreign country. The thought of eating by yourself where people could stare at you and wonder why was nerve wracking, but I quickly pushed those feelings to the back of my head as I entered the restaurant. A bell tinkled as I opened the door and waitress appeared before me, smiling brightly.

“Sit wherever you’d like, and I’ll be right over with a menu,” she said. I nodded and smiled back before looking around. There weren’t many people here and I found a booth towards the back that offered some privacy. The waitress found me, placing a menu on the table in front of me. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water would be fine,” I said, glancing down at the menu. The waitress walked away and a few minutes later she returned with my drink, placing it in front of me. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, keeping it simple for tonight.

I was kind of surprised that I wasn’t more tired than I thought I’d be. It had been a long day after all, especially with the flight. But I guess I was just used to running on odd sleep schedules and lack of sleep as well.

When I finished at the restaurant, I decided to go down the street a bit more to see what other shops there were. I surprised to see it was already getting dark when I left the restaurant. I hadn’t realized it was so late already.  
I was about to turn to return to the hotel when I noticed a small bar, well, I guess I should say pub (I’m not in America anymore!), across the street. Suddenly I was thirsty. I didn’t get to drink very often, and now seemed a good time as ever to indulge in that want. I was on vacation, it was okay to let loose.

I crossed the street quickly and entered the pub, the air smelling of beer and liquor and slightly of sweat. The pub was surprisingly busy but I managed to find a free stool at the bar between a man and an older woman. The bartender came over to me quickly and I ordered a screwdriver. I figured I’d keep it simple with some vodka and orange juice. I hadn’t had much vodka in my life and I was almost longing for it, ready to unwind. I really didn’t drink much. I had the occasional beer or glass of wine, but my schedule just never seemed to allow me much time to actually go out and just drink till I couldn’t stand on my own anymore… Not that I actually wanted to get that drunk. Especially here where there would be no one to help me walk.

I gave the bartender my money as he set my drink in front of me. I picked it up immediately, drinking a mouthful, enjoying the way the drink felt and tasted in my mouth and finally how the vodka burned slightly in my throat before pooling into a comfortable warmth in my belly. I smiled (I was doing that a lot lately), and drank half of my drink in a few large gulps. I know, not the greatest idea, but at this point I didn’t care.

When I finished, I sat forward, trying to get the bartender’s attention so that I could get another drink.

“Let me buy this one,” said the man who was sitting next to me. I glanced at him, noticing his thinning hair and the glazed look in his eyes. I could smell the beer on his breath from where I was sitting.

“No, thank you,” I said, forcing a small smile in his direction.

“Come on, miss,” he said, putting his hand over mine. I tried to pull it away, but his fingers wrapped around mine quickly, holding tightly. “A nice American girl as yourself looks like she could use some company. Let me buy you a drink.”

“Really, its fine,” I said, still trying to free my hand from his. “I can buy my own drink.”

“I insist,” the man said, just as I heard another man behind me say, “Ah, there you are, love.”

I tensed as I felt an arm slide around my waist and a warm body close to mine. What was wrong with these people?

The balding man released my hand.

“My apologies,” he said, attempting to get up from his stool. “Didn’t realize she was taken.”

He hurried away and I felt some relief, though now I had a new nutcase to deal with. The bartender finally came over to me and took my glass, making me a fresh drink as I felt the unfamiliar arm go away. This new man sat on the vacated stool.

“I apologize for that,” he said. “He didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer, and I couldn’t just sit there and leave you helpless.”

I glanced at him quickly as my new drink was placed in front of me. I gave the bartender some more money before taking a sip of my drink.

“I’m Tom,” he said after a moment. “I swear I’m not here to force my company on you. If you’d like I can order my beer and move on to a different location in the pub.”

I took another looking at him, eyes moving first from his surprisingly blue eyes, moving over the pale skin of his face, light stubble the only visible ‘blemish’, to the almost ginger curls pushed back on his head. He was quite handsome. Definitely better looking and less creepy looking than the balding man.

“Thank you for saving me from that guy,” I finally said, smiling at him. He smiled back, his eyes crinkling and eyes brightening—wow.

“You said your name is Tom?” I said. He nodded. “I’m Sarah.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Sarah,” he said, picking up the beer that had been placed in front of him and drinking some of it. I took the opportunity to swallow a few mouthfuls of my own drink. “So what brings you to London?”

“Vacation,” I said. “I very badly needed a vacation.”

“And what made you decide on London?”

“It’s one place I’ve always wanted to visit,” I answered. “I actually didn’t even plan this vacation at all… I just kind of came here on a whim.”

“Ah,” Tom said. “But those types of vacations can sometimes end up being the best. When did you get here?”

“Today actually,” I said. “I think I’m just going to stay two weeks. At least, that’s what I told the hotel I’m staying at.”

“And what hotel is that?” he asked. I told him and he nodded. “That’s a nice place. I’ve been there a few times.”

“Yeah, I think I’m in love with my room,” I said, smiling.

“Do you have any plans on what you’re going to do and see while you’re here?”

“No, actually,” I said, finishing my drink. “On a whim vacation, remember?”

“Well, I apologize if I’m being too forward, but I would like to offer you my services as your own personal tour guide,” Tom said, smiling at me.

“Really?” I asked. “You’d do that for someone you just met?”

“Yes,” he said. “There’s something about you. So far, I’ve enjoyed talking to you and I would very much like to talk to you more.”

“Then I must accept, because I have been enjoying talking to you as well,” I said.

“Wonderful,” he said, standing. “Then I must get you back to your hotel. We’re going to get an early start.”

I laughed, standing up too. Tom offered me his arm, and I took it.

“You’re really going to walk me back to my hotel?”

“Yes,” he said. “You shouldn’t walk by yourself at night, especially since you’re in an unfamiliar country.”

“Good point,” I said. We walked in silence back to my hotel and I was glad that it wasn’t awkward. I felt that so far my trip had been pretty successful. I may even end up with a friend already!

When we reached my hotel, we stood in front and I unhooked my arm from Tom’s. I looked up into his face, just now realizing how tall he was. I knew I was taller than average, but Tom still managed to tower over me by several inches.

“Now, I apologize in advance if this seems too forward, but I’m glad you’re not creepy,” I said after a moment. Tom laughed and I couldn’t help but grin at him. He had such a great laugh.

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t think I was creepy,” he said. “Now, how about I meet you in the lobby at 9:00 a.m.?”

“Sounds good, tour guide,” I said. 

“Goodnight, Sarah,” he said, smiling at me. I smiled back before turning and heading into the hotel.

When I was in bed, all I could think about were blue eyes and gingery curls until my eyes finally shut.


	3. You look at me, it’s like you hit me with lightning

The alarm I had set for myself the night before woke me up at 8:00 a.m., giving me an hour to get ready for the day I was going to be spending with Tom.

I took a quick shower, and did the usual routine before getting dressed in simple t-shirt and jeans and sneakers. I looked at the clothes in my closet, realizing that I didn’t even own anything that was nice. I only seemed to buy clothes based on two criteria: comfort or work. Maybe I could stop in a few shops and pick up a few things that would be acceptable to wear on a night out, in case the mood struck me… Or if Tom… 

Or if Tom what? I had just met him and I was only here for two weeks. There was a slim chance that anything between us would happen; he just didn’t seem like the type of guy who would have a quick fling or one night stand with someone. He was just being friendly.

I headed down to the lobby and pulled out my cell phone to check the time, seeing I still had ten minutes before Tom would show up. I didn’t even know why I was carrying my cell phone. I couldn’t use it here anyways, or else it would cost way more than I wanted to pay. I tucked it away into a pocket of my purse and looked around the lobby.

As I headed closer to the front desk, I noticed the girl who had checked me in yesterday, Elizabeth, was working again today.

“Hello,” she said, smiling at me. “Are you enjoying your stay?”

“Yes, thank you,” I said. “The room is wonderful.”

“Glad to hear it! Do you have any plans for today?”

“Kind of. I met someone last night and he offered to be my personal tour guide.”

“Making friends already?” she questioned, smiling at me. I glanced at the entrance to see Tom entering. He smiled as I waved at him. “Enjoy your day.”

“Thanks,” I said to her before heading to Tom. I smiled at how similarly dressed we were, noting that he had opted for the jeans, t-shirt, sneakers combination as well. A pair of sunglasses dangled from the front of his v-neck t-shirt. “Hello, again.”

“Hello to you too,” he said, smiling. “Did you sleep well?”

I nodded my head.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to leave this hotel ever based on the comfort of the beds alone,” I said. He laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him. He laughed in such a unique way. I couldn’t help but notice how his tongue poked forward slightly as he laughed.

“I thought we’d grab some breakfast before we get started,” he said as we headed for the exit. “If that’s okay with you.”

“That’s perfectly fine with me,” I said, following him down the sidewalk. We went left instead of right, and I looked at the different shop windows again.

\---

“So, tell me a bit about yourself,” Tom said as he sipped his tea while I dumped some sugar and cream into my coffee.

“What do you want to know?”

“Hmm, how about, what do you do for a living back in America?” he asked.

“Well, I have two part time jobs,” I said, sipping my coffee savoring the taste. It may have just been the best coffee I’d ever had. “One is a secretary to a psychologist, and the other is a barista at Starbucks.”

“I’m assuming you have some plan for a more long term career other than those two jobs?” he asked. I smiled.

“Yeah,” I said. “I actually just got my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I’d like to look into some sort of counseling.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“Twenty two,” I answered.

“You seem older than that,” he said. “Not that you look older.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” I said, staring down at the table. “May I ask your age?”

“Thirty one,” he answered. “Now I feel old.”

“You don’t look it,” I said, looking up at him again so our eyes met. 

Our waitress returned to our table with our breakfast and placed our plates in front of us. My stomach grumbled as I looked at the food and I eagerly picked up my fork.

“So what do you do for a living?” I asked before taking a bite of my eggs.

“You really don’t know?” I looked up at him, confused.

“What?”

“Sorry,” he said. “That sounded pretty cocky, I guess. I’m an actor, most recently in the movies Thor and The Avengers.”

I felt my brows furrow and then my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“I didn’t even realize,” I said, setting my fork down and running a hand through my hair. “I don’t even remember the last time I’ve seen a movie… I just never have time. I’ve heard people talking about those movies. You were in them?”

“Yeah,” he said, laughing. “This is quite refreshing, I must say. At least now I know you aren’t hanging out with me because I’m famous.”

“I guess that’s a good point,” I said, laughing too.

“So you really don’t have time to watch any movies?” he asked. I shook my head. “May I ask why?”

“I just have always been busy with work and school,” I said. “I’ve rarely had time to myself in the past seven years.”

“Wow,” he said. “Seven years. Really?”

“Yeah,” I said, looking down. “Um, things just got kind of difficult when I was fifteen, and just never seemed to let up.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Tom said, hand reaching forward until his fingers touched my arm that was on the table gently. I nodded, before looking back up at him and smiling softly.

\---

Somehow we had ended up in a clothing store. Well… not somehow. I simply suggested looking to see what they had, and Tom had agreed. It was my vacation after all. 

As we were both flicking through a rack of dresses, I turned to him and said, “You’re not a very good tour guide.”

“Well you’re not a very good tourist,” he replied. I smiled at him, and he smiled back before pulling something from the rack. “Now, as your personal shopper, I insist you try this on.”

“You’re my personal shopper now?” I questioned, eyeing the dress he was holding out to me. I had to admit it was beautiful, though it looked a little short. I took it from his hands and looked at it more closely. It looked like it might be my size… I couldn’t be completely sure with the European sizes being different from the American. “Fine. I’ll try it on.”

“Good,” he said, smiling. He led me to the dressing rooms and I went inside, shutting the door behind me.

Quickly, I took off the clothes I was wearing and slid on the dress. Surprisingly it fit perfectly, and looking in the mirror I couldn’t help but think I didn’t look half bad. But it definitely seemed too short—the downside of long legs.

“Sarah?” I heard Tom outside the door.

“Yeah?”

“Does it fit?”

“Yes,” I said.

“May I see?” he questioned.

“Um, sure,” I said before opening the door. As I stood there, I watched Tom as he looked up and down my body before meeting my eyes. I knew my face was flushed; I could feel the heat radiating off of my face.

“I really think you should buy this,” he said. “You look great. Plus you can wear it when we go out to dinner tonight.”

“Dinner?” I questioned. He nodded, smiling at me.

“And then I think I’ll show you a few fun clubs,” he nodded some more. “Call it a tour of London nightlife.”

“Fine,” I said. He grinned, and I couldn’t help but grin back.

“Let’s get you some shoes for that dress.”

\---

I looked in the mirror of the bathroom, hardly recognizing myself. My new dress hugged my body, showing off my curves, and I couldn’t help but feel self conscious. I really wasn’t used to this. My hair fell in soft waves down my back and I had even put on some makeup. The heels I had bought to go with the dress sat tauntingly on the floor beside me. I don’t know how I was going to walk in them.

Tom had gone back to his own place to get changed for the evening. Thinking about him, I felt nervous butterflies in my stomach. I really wasn’t used to this, as I said before. I don’t know how I was going to get through this evening. I’d be lying if I hadn’t found myself staring at Tom throughout the day, my attraction to him seemingly growing without any kind of control. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all.

Suddenly, I heard something vibrating on the counter and I looked, remembering that Tom had insisted I get a cell phone I could use here so that he could get a hold of me easily. I picked it up and answered it.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hello, love,” Tom’s voice said, and I watched in the mirror as my cheeks turned pink. “I’m down in the lobby, if you’re ready.”

“Okay,” I said, looking nervously at the heels I had yet to put on. “I’ll be right down.”

We hung up and I sighed, tucking my phone into the clutch I had also purchased that afternoon, along with some money and my room key.

Quickly, I slipped on the heels and stood there for a minute, trying to get used to how they felt. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was now exactly Tom’s height. My first few steps were hesitant and wobbly, but by the time I had made it to the elevator I was feeling more confident and walking more easily. 

When the doors of the elevator opened in the lobby, I smiled when I saw Tom standing a little ways away looking at one of the paintings hanging on the wall. I couldn’t help but admire the fact that he looked good, dressed in black slacks and a tucked in white button up shirt, the first few buttons undone. For some reason, this simple outfit looked amazing on him.

As I stepped out of the elevator, he turned and saw me, smiling as his eyes traveled up and down my body yet again, assessing my outfit. I hated how my cheeks burned and how much I wanted to just force him up to my room to have my way with him. I took a deep breath, trying to push those thoughts away. I just met him, for Christ’s sake!

“You look stunning,” he said when I was standing in front of him. I smiled, thinking about how I was right about these heels making me just about the same height as Tom. I didn’t have to look up at him at all.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said, and he smiled at me before offering me his arm.

“Ready for some fun?” he questioned as we headed outside and to a waiting taxi.

“Definitely,” I agreed.

\---

“Are you doing alright?”

I turned my head to look at Tom, and felt my lips curve slowly into a smile.

“I’m perfect,” I said, and he grinned finishing the drink that was in his hand. I finished mine as well. I took in a deep breath, savoring this moment. I felt absolutely wonderful. I wish I had gone drinking more before this, because I was truly missing out.

I felt Tom’s hand clasp my own.

“Come dance with me,” he said, leaning in so he wouldn’t have to yell over the music. I’d never gone dancing before, but I nodded my head anyway.

We had had a fantastic dinner at a small, but very nice, restaurant. We had come to this club not long afterwards and sat at a secluded table in a corner drinking and talking.

Tom wrapped an arm around my waist, helping me to get to the dance floor without tripping over my feet. Drinking and heels didn’t mix very well, I was finding.

He turned, keeping his arm around my waist as he faced me and pulled me closer to him. I felt myself blush at the closeness, and my stomach erupted into a million butterflies. This was definitely not helping to keep my desire at bay.

One of my hands moved up, wrapping itself around the back of his neck and I could feel his curls tickling my fingers. I wanted badly to run my hand through his hair, but I resisted. My other hand was clasped in his free hand, held against his chest and his other hand moved to the small of my back, pressing my body more firmly against his. He moved easily along with the music, our hips moving together in a synchronized fashion. I hoped he couldn’t feel my breathing quicken or my heart beat pounding.

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, but all I know is that when we stopped I was sweating… and Tom didn’t move away from me. I felt his breath on my ear.

“Are you ready to leave?” he asked. I nodded, unable to speak for some reason. With his arm around me we headed to the exit of the club after grabbing my clutch from the bartender who had been watching it.

We managed to get a cab and we slid into the backseat, and Tom told the driver to go to my hotel.

We were silent in the cab, and I rolled the window down to try and cool down. Tom was sitting close next to me, his arm draped comfortably around my shoulders, his fingers tracing circles on my arm. I shivered slightly.

“Are you cold?” he asked. I looked at him.

“No,” I said quietly. He smiled at me and I smiled back. 

“Wait here,” Tom said to me when the cab stopped and he had paid the driver. I stayed in my seat as Tom got out and stumbled ever so slightly to my door. He was very good at not showing how much he had to drink. He pulled my door open and offered me his hand, which I gladly took, and he helped me out of the car.

Wrapping his arm once more around my waist, we headed into the hotel and to the elevators. I smiled at the unfamiliar employee behind the desk and she smiled back, eyes glancing quickly in Tom’s direction before turning away.

When we reached my room, I fumbled with my clutch outside my room for a moment before Tom took it gently from my hands, opening it easily and pulling out the room key.

“Thanks,” I said sheepishly once the door was open.

“It’s no problem,” he said. He gestured to the open door. “After you.”

I walked in and immediately kicked my shoes off. I turned around and smiled up at Tom after he had shut the door to the room.

“My feet were killing me,” I said. Tom laughed and I grinned.

“I don’t understand why women insist on wearing them,” he said, gesturing to my shoes.

“Hey, you’re the one that made me buy them,” I said.

“And your point is?” he asked, laughing again. I laughed with him, and meaning to just step forward, I ended up stumbling. Tom’s arm shot out quickly, his hand landing on my waist to steady me. “Easy there.”

“I take back what I said earlier,” I said as I smiled up at him.

“What’s that?” he asked, also smiling. His hand didn’t leave my waist.

“You’re a great tour guide,” I said. “Even if you didn’t take me to any popular tourist attractions.”

And before I could give it any sort of proper thought, my hand reached up and cupped his face and I was leaning up to catch his lips with my own. I kissed him softly and I was happy when he responded. His grip tightened on my waist as I pulled away.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, biting my bottom lip. 

But without saying another word, Tom’s lips were back on mine, kissing me more hungrily this time. I placed a hand on his back as the other slid to his neck and I finally allowed my fingers to slide into the soft curls I had been longing to touch all night. My hand fisted in his hair and I pulled gently, and a groan sounded in his throat as his tongue invaded my mouth. His hands slid down until they were cupping my butt and he pushed my lower half closer to his.

I had finally let the desire consume my body, and all I wanted was him. All I wanted was Tom. I pulled away suddenly and grabbed his hand, leading him quickly to my bedroom. Once there, I placed my mouth to his once more as I started unbuttoning his shirt. When I was done, I pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. I ran my hands down his chest to his stomach and back up before pushing him back until he fell on the bed. He sat up slightly, leaning back on his elbows and watched me as I quickly unzipped my dress and let it fall to the floor. I stepped forward and leaned down, undoing his belt before unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. I pulled his pants off quickly, tossing them to the floor and leaving him in nothing but his boxer briefs. I could see his erection straining against the thin fabric, and I shivered in anticipation.

I climbed onto the bed so that I was straddling him and leaned down, kissing him deeply, tongue exploring his mouth.

I moved my hips down against his, causing a groan to escape both our mouths from the friction. I moved my mouth to his neck, kissing and biting.

“I’ve never done anything like this before.” His breath fell hot and heavy against my ear. I detached my mouth from his throat, my eyes meeting darkened blue. I knew he was talking about sleeping with someone he had just met.

“Would you think I’m a terrible person if I said that I have?” I whispered, afraid he may change his mind or look at me differently, negatively.

“Never,” he replied instantly. And just as quickly his lips were pressed fully against mine, our tongues touching, full of wanting and need. He pulled away for a moment, “Condom?”

“Don’t need it,” I gasped. And suddenly Tom had us flipped over so that I lay beneath him. I groaned, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed against mine.

It wasn’t long before we were both entirely absent of clothes, my legs wrapped tightly around Tom’s waist. Heavy breathing, sweaty skin.

When we were both finished, attempting to regain our breaths, I couldn’t help but smile. Tom was definitely better than Colin. There was no competition.


	4. Paint a picture with my hands

I awoke sometime in the morning feeling relaxed, happy, and deliciously sore. I turned my head, eyes falling on Tom’s sleeping face. His mouth was open slightly and he was snoring softly. I smiled, recalling last night, glad it wasn’t fuzzy around the edges from the alcohol. 

I remembered Tom telling me how he had never done anything like this before, and instantly I was worried. We had both been a bit intoxicated last night, by alcohol, by each other… what if he woke up and regretted this? What if he woke up and didn’t want to see me ever again?

I sat up slowly, holding the blanket up to my naked chest as I stared down at him. He was almost more beautiful in sleep. And there was just something about him that made me not want to lose him. I wasn’t sure I could face him if he decided this was a mistake. I couldn’t bring myself to regret this. Everything had just been so wonderful. 

I sighed softly, deciding to get out of bed and take a shower. I hoped that if he woke up and I wasn’t there, and if he decided he didn’t want to see me anymore that he would just leave. I didn’t want to have any awkward conversations about how it had been fun, but a mistake. I just didn’t think I could face it.

I got out of bed carefully, slightly self conscious as I walked towards the bedroom door without any clothes on. When I got to the bathroom, I brushed my teeth quickly; morning breath was the worst.

**_Tom’s Point of View_ **

I awoke just in time to see Sarah slip out of the room, still naked. I couldn’t help but smile. When she didn’t return, I wondered if maybe she wanted me to leave. I really had no idea what the protocol was for these situations.

When I had met Sarah, saving her from that creep, I had never imagined I would eventually end up in her bed. I just didn’t do things like this! I was the guy who turned up the romance, brought the girl flowers, took her to a nice restaurant. I wasn’t the guy who got the girl drunk and then slept with her, only knowing a handful of information.

But she didn’t seem like the average girl. She wasn’t looking for romance, she had proved that last night. _Would you think I’m a terrible person if I said that I have?_ Her words were still there, clear as day, as if she had only just uttered them. I wondered if she had a lover back home.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the shower being turned on and I sat up in the bed, trying to decide what I should do. Should I just leave? Would that be best?

I sighed. In all honesty, leaving was the last thing I wanted to do. Something about her made me want to know her better. Something about the playful glint in her eyes, always quickly followed by a shadow of doubt, of worry… There was just something about her, something in her life that had changed her. I could tell that shine in her eyes was just hiding something even deeper and darker, something she didn’t want to share.

But somehow, I knew I could get her to share it with me. And I wanted her to. I wanted to hear every last excruciating detail. I wanted to be the one to pull her from the darkness. It was odd, the way I was thinking about her, when I hardly even knew her and she hardly knew me.

Feeling bold, I climbed out of the bed, not bothering with clothes, and headed straight for the bathroom.

**_Sarah’s Point of View_ **

When I finally got under the hot water of the shower, I tried to relax and tried not to think of Tom. Tried not to think about Tom’s hands and how they felt as they had caressed my skin or the way his mouth and tongue and teeth had felt against my breasts. I shivered at the memories.

I jumped and almost fell as the shower curtain was suddenly pulled back, and there was Tom. Tom, who just happened to be standing gloriously naked in front of me. I resisted the urge to steal a glance at his lower half.

I felt my cheeks redden as we just stood there, staring at each other.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked finally. I shook my head slightly and watched as he carefully climbed into the shower, pulling the curtain closed once again. Without another word, he reached around me and picked up my bottle of body wash. I moved to the side a bit so he could get under the stream of water better. 

I watched as he squirted some of the body wash into his hand and began to lather it up after he had returned the bottle to its spot. I knew my mouth was hanging open as he started to wash himself, rubbing the lather over his chest and shoulders. He glanced at me and smiled and after a moment, I smiled back before hastily picking up my shampoo bottle. 

I leaned back to rinse the shampoo out of my hair, and that’s when I felt Tom finally touch me. His hands moved in tentative circles over my stomach before slowly moving up to my breasts, and then shoulders. I looked down to see the sudsy trail his hands left as he washed me. This was new. I had actually never showered with a guy before.

When my hair was fully rinsed, I felt Tom’s hands on my hips as he turned me around. He reached for my conditioner, and I gasped when I felt his erection near my hip. I turned around carefully, knocking the bottle from his hand before reaching up to pull his face to mine.

His lips found mine easily and his tongue immediately claimed my mouth. He grabbed a hold of my hips, pulling me closer to him and I let out a moan as I felt him again. I was glad he had stayed… something about him was just deliciously intoxicating. I couldn’t get enough.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from him and turned the water off before quickly climbing out of the shower. While the thought of shower sex turned me on greatly, I didn’t want to risk ruining the moment by slipping and falling.

Once out of the shower, Tom pushed his body back against mine until I felt the sharp edge of the counter pressing painfully against my sensitive skin, a gasp escaping my mouth. Tom swiftly lifted me up and sat me on the edge as he moved himself between my legs.

Thank God he decided to stay.

\---

“I really don’t know what’s come over me. You’ve gotten inside my head—quickly and easily too, I might add.”

I laughed and nuzzled my face against his neck. We were back in the bed, sleepy and content and slightly damp.

“Sarah?” he spoke again after a few minutes.

“Hmm.” It’s all I could manage. I really wanted to fall back to sleep.

“I just want to let you know I don’t regret any of this,” Tom said quietly. I lifted my head so that I could meet his gaze.

“I figured as much when you joined me in the bathroom,” I said. “Though I’m glad you said something. I was a bit worried that you would regret it.”

“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to,” he said. I studied his face for a moment before he spoke again. “So what does this mean now?”

My eyes continued to move over his face, trying to find the right words for this.

“I don’t do relationships,” I finally said quietly. He nodded his head slightly.

“Do you want to do that whole… what is it? Friends with benefits?” he asked after a moment. I laughed softly and he smiled. “May I ask why you don’t do relationships?”

“Maybe later,” I said, laying my head back down. I didn’t want to ruin the mood, plus my parents’ weren’t something I enjoyed talking about.

At some point I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, Tom was gone, the space on the bed beside me cold. I felt slightly disappointed at the fact that he had left, but I quickly pushed the feeling away. 

Feeling disappointed was for the weak. Not for me. Not for someone who had a few reliable people (mainly Colin) I could count on to fulfill my needs when they were called. That’s all Tom was, and he knew that. I hoped he knew that. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and I didn’t want him to get hurt. I knew I could control my feelings and stay completely unattached.

We were just two people from different points in the world who had come together to provide what each of us needed: companionship. I was sure that Tom must have been lonely, because why else would he sleep with me? I didn’t like to admit to my own loneliness, but sometimes it just couldn’t be helped. Just getting some kind of contact, even sexual, could stifle those feelings when they boiled to the surface.

After pulling myself together, I climbed out of bed and stretched, enjoying the pull in my muscles. I groaned, curling my toes into the soft carpet before heading over to the dresser in the bedroom to pull out some clothes. 

I decided that I’d get some lunch, courtesy of room service, and then visit a few of the shops that I had seen on this street. Maybe I’d pick out a few more outfits in case Tom wanted to go out somewhere again soon.

As I entered the main section of the room, and plopped down into one of the chairs with the hotel menu in hand, I heard an unfamiliar beep come from near the doorway. When I looked in that direction, I smiled when I saw my heels still laying just inside the doorway and not far from that my clutch. I realized my new phone was in there and hurried over to it, pulling it out of the clutch and saw that I had a text message. I knew it had to be from Tom. He was the only one who had this number.

**Sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. You looked peaceful. x.**

_May I ask why you left?_ I carried the phone over to the chair with me and set it on the arm as I resumed looking at the menu. My phone beeped as I was preparing to call room service on the hotel phone. I decided to call room service before looking at the text. 

Once my food was ordered, I picked up the cell phone and read his message: **I have a few meetings today. Do you have plans?**

_I was thinking I’d go shopping… buy some more clothes._

**My favourite colour is green. x** I smiled at his text, quickly replying.

_I would have thought blue…_

**Both are fine colour’s. That dress was lovely on you.**

_Well, I have my personal shopper to thank for that._ I waited for a reply, but one never came. I figured he must have gone into one of the meetings he had this afternoon. When my food came, I sat in front of the television, picking some random TV show that I didn’t understand. 

I pushed a few buttons on the remote, trying to find something else to watch and somehow managed to find where to order movies to watch on the TV. I flicked through the selections, nothing sounding even a little bit familiar until I saw something I remembered from a recent conversation… ‘Thor.’ I turned the TV off figuring I’d hurry and do some shopping and then come back to relax in the evening and watch the movie… see Tom in action.

\---

After shopping in a few shops and getting some outfits I thought were nice, probably uncomfortable, and unsuitable for work, I headed back in the direction of my hotel. Realizing it was getting a bit late and that I hadn’t eaten since that afternoon, I opted for room service again. 

I went through my new clothes as I waited for my food to arrive, hanging them up carefully in the closet in the bedroom.

When my food arrived, I again sat in front of the TV, but this time knowing exactly what I was going to watch. I went through the whole process of ordering the movie on my television and it finally started. I couldn’t believe I was actually watching this. I couldn’t even remember what the last movie I watched was.

\---

_Just watched Thor. You are amazing._ I sent Tom a quick text before deciding to get ready for bed. It was late, and I was actually tired. My phone beeped as I crawled into my bed.

**You’re making me blush. Thank you.** I laughed at his text and my phone beeped again, signaling another text from him. **Are you free tomorrow?**

_Yes, I am._

**Good. Your tour guide would like to give you a proper tour of London.**

_Well let him know I’d appreciate it…especially after that last time._

**Yes, ma’am. He deeply regrets his failures of that day, but hopes he made up for it later that night.** I blushed at his text.

_He more than made up for it…_

**He is glad to hear it. 11 work for you?**

_Yes, that sounds good._

**See you then. x**

_Goodnight._ I smiled, placing my phone on the nightstand beside the bed before switching off the lamp. Eleven couldn’t come soon enough.


	5. And we might've started singing just a little soon

I couldn’t help but blush as I spotted Tom, patiently waiting for me in the lobby of the hotel. Thinking of the events from the other night, and yesterday morning… It was kind of hard to believe. He just didn’t seem like the type to easily take to casual sex, though it was still early in my vacation and only time could tell what kind of effect this whole situation might have on him. I had found myself in plenty of situations where a guy insisted that casual was fine, perfect even, and then turn around spouting off about how much they loved me and wanted to be with me. Let’s just say, they didn’t get any more of my time. 

I was perfectly happy and content when I found a guy who I could sleep with for a while and who was content to stay unattached. Things just worked out better that way. There were no hurt feelings in the end. No broken hearts. No failed attempts at love. I was always amazed to see someone get there heartbroken and then going right back out there and finding someone else to love, who in turn broke their heart again. To me, it just didn’t make sense to go after something that was doomed to fail. And sure, there were people who made it last, or appeared to make it last, but I was sure, deep down they felt stuck. Having been in the relationship so long, there was no point in getting out. 

There were just so many failed marriages and relationships, it just seemed plausible to me that love didn’t exist. I just didn’t want to be like everyone else, searching the world in hopes of finding my true love. 

Tom turned to me as he noticed me approaching, and I smiled at him.

“So are you going to give me a tour of London, or what?” I asked as way of greeting. Tom laughed that unique laugh of his, and I joined in… It just couldn’t be helped.

“Right this way, miss,” he said, offering me his arm which I gladly took. “I’ve got a few places in mind that every tourist should visit while in London.”

“Wonderful,” I said as we left the hotel. “Let’s not get distracted with shopping this time, tour guide.”

“I would never!” Tom joked. We started down the sidewalk. “I parked my car over here. I figured it would be easier if I just drove us to our destinations.”

“Sounds good,” I said, as we headed straight for a black car that must have been his. “Just don’t be surprised if I stare at you in awe. I’m not used to the whole driving situation here in Europe.”

“You want to give it a try?” he asked, smiling at me. I shook my head quickly.

“No, thanks,” I said, smiling. “It probably wouldn’t end well.”

“We’ll give it a try sometime,” he said, opening the passenger side door for me. “It’s really not that bad.”

“Says the guy who’s been driving this way for who knows how long,” I said. 

“Good point,” Tom said, smiling as he closed my door before heading over to the driver’s side. 

“So are you going to tell me where we’re going first?” I asked as we pulled away from the curb and onto the street.

“No,” he said. “It’s a surprise.”

We rode in silence, which thankfully was comfortable. I hate being in those situations where you feel you need to talk, yet have no idea what to say. Why do so many silences need to be awkward, anyway?

It wasn’t much longer until Tom was parking his car on the street yet again. I got out of the car the same time as he did and I could tell by the look he gave me that he had wanted to open my door for me. I gave him a look of my own, trying to remind him that this wasn’t any sort of date and that I could open my own door.

He opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a basket.

“Are we having a picnic?” I asked.

“Maybe,” he said. “Follow me.”

We walked a bit up the street and finally I saw we were headed to a huge park. I smiled, taking in the many people there enjoying the nice day.

“Is this Hyde Park?” I asked as I followed him to a shady spot under a nearby tree once we were in the park.

“That it is,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind just sitting on the grass. I didn’t bring a blanket or anything.”

“That’s fine,” I said, sitting down so I could lean against the tree trunk. I watched as Tom sat down beside me and opened the basket.

“Nothing fancy,” he said, handing me a sandwich before pulling out one for him. There was also a bag of potato chips and two cans of Pepsi.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, as I unwrapped my own sandwich. “This is a pretty classy lunch.”

“I worked very hard on putting it together,” he said, smiling at me.

“Well, I must say you make a pretty good sandwich.”

\---

After eating, we returned Tom’s picnic basket to his car before returning to the park. He showed me a few of his own favorite spots around the park and we stopped to watch a few of the street performers who were there. 

“So what’s next?” I asked as we left the park, returning to Tom’s car.

“Still a surprise,” he said as we drove down the street in his car.

When he finally parked his car again, I could see a gigantic Ferris wheel nearby.

“What is that?” I asked once we were out of the car.

“That is the London Eye,” he said. “Highly recommended.”

Tom had me wait by the gate while he went over to the booth and talked to whoever was working there. He returned a moment later and offered me his arm, which I took, and we headed inside. I could see the line was long; there was a lot of people.

“It must be good if anyone is going to stand in line that long,” I said.

“Definitely worth the wait,” he said. “But luckily, I know a few people and we get to jump ahead of the line.”

I looked up at him and he smiled at me as we walked by all the people waiting. When we got to the front, he handed the man there our tickets.

“It will be just a few minutes,” he said. “They’re just about done.”

“Sounds good,” Tom said. The man looked at me and smiled.

“This your first time?” he asked me.

“Yeah,” I said.

“You’re in for a treat,” he said. “You’ll enjoy it.”

After waiting for a few minutes, the man finally let us through and Tom led us to what looked like a round bubble type room. (How else do you describe it?) We entered through an open door which was closed behind us by another worker and I looked around. Glass windows went all the way around it and I looked around. This thing was huge.

“Did you request we have this whole thing to ourselves?” I asked as it started to move. Surely they could fit a lot more people in here.

“Maybe,” Tom said, smiling. “I didn’t want to be interrupted during this. People may recognize me and we’re stuck in here for thirty minutes.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him.

“You really didn’t have to do that,” I said. “I wouldn’t have minded. Besides I feel bad because I’m sure this isn’t cheap.”

“Really, don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s the tour guide’s treat.”

I walked around the room, looking out the windows and watching as people were loaded onto the next… pod, I guess I could call it. We moved again, more people got on, repeat. Eventually we were almost to the top, and I was starting to see why this was so amazing. You could just about see all of London and it was gorgeous. I moved around the pod to look out each of the windows, repeating this action each time we got a little higher.

I shot Tom a playful glare when he laughed at me. He stayed in one spot by the middle of the windows, watching me more than he was the scenery. 

“Oh wow,” I breathed when we finally reached the top. “This is amazing.”

“Told you it was good,” Tom said. I laughed and smiled at him.

“You are definitely a good tour guide,” I said, returning my gaze to the sight in front of me. Tom pointed out a few nearby landmarks. We started moving again, though this time going down. I did the same as before though, going to each of the windows to take in the view that I could.

Eventually though, we were back at the bottom and the door to our pod was being opened. 

When we got back to Tom’s car, I turned to him.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” I said. “So far, this is by far my favorite tourist attraction.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said, smiling at me. We got back in the car and started back down the street. “If you don’t mind I thought we’d grab some dinner. Nothing fancy, of course.”

“That’s fine,” I said. “I’m actually really hungry.”

\---

After a casual dinner, Tom brought me back to my hotel.

“Thanks so much for today,” I said, turning to him. “I had a fantastic day.”

“I’m glad,” he said. We smiled at each other and I glanced at my hotel.

“Do you want to come in?” I finally asked.

“As tempting as that is, I’m unfortunately going to have to say no,” he said. “I have to get up early to meet with a few people.”

“Okay,” I said, pulling the handle on the car door to open it slightly. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“Sarah?” I turned to look at him again. “I know there are probably certain rules, in this situation, but could I kiss you?”

I stared at him for a moment, surprised. I looked down for a moment before meeting his gaze.

“Normally, I’d say no,” I started. “But I’m going to say yes, just this once, because you earned it.”

He smiled and I leaned forward, eyes still on his. He moved in slowly until I could feel the breath on his lips. I shivered slightly in anticipation. There was just something about that moment right before your lips meet someone else’s that is amazing. We stayed like that for a moment, until I couldn’t take it any longer and I quickly closed the gap between us, lips pressing softly to his.

Of course, it didn’t stay soft for long. It didn’t take long for fire to spread and his fingers were tangled in my hair as my tongue forced its way hungrily into his mouth. I was mildly surprised, and happy, when his own tongue began battling mine for dominance. I let him win and enjoyed the feeling of his tongue now exploring my mouth as I gripped onto his own hair, pulling his face closer to mine, if that was even possible. 

Way too soon we were pulling apart, breathing heavily and sitting back in our own seats in the car. When I had regained some composure, I pushed the car door open and climbed out. I leaned down to look at Tom.

“See you later,” I said, running one hand through my hair in an attempt to smooth it out. He smiled at me and I closed the door, heading inside.

As I smiled at Elizabeth behind the desk on my way to the elevators, I couldn’t help but think that that man was going to be the death of me.


	6. And you can't keep your hands off me

In the morning, I decided to wander around nearby and inspect a few of the shops I hadn’t had a chance to check out yet. Plus, I didn’t know if Tom wanted to do anything today, so I figured it’d be best to stay near the hotel in case I heard from him.

I found a nice little restaurant to have some breakfast before doing some shopping. As I browsed the shops, I couldn’t help but smile. I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually been able to go somewhere and just casually go through a store without a purpose. I could definitely get used to this whole relaxing thing. It was just hard to break habits that you’d had for years. Once you’ve gone through some sort of hardship, you can’t help but fear that it could happen again. 

If I were being completely honest, I was always on edge, worried about what bad thing was going to come into my life next. Or wondering what was left out there to break me down, and finally knock me down into a helpless mess. My father was gone (I had no idea where he was, or if he was still alive), my mother was gone… It seemed there was nothing left for me to lose. But I was still here, and I couldn’t help but worry what could happen to me. Homeless? Heartbroken? I wasn’t going to let that happen. I had been saving money since the day I started working. I had enough money to get me through if something were to happen. I even had a good deal to spare, which is why I’m on vacation in London. And heartbroken? Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. No attachments, no broken hearts. Simple as that.

I jumped suddenly when my new phone started to go off, unfamiliar with the ring tone. I pulled it out of my pocket and smiled when I saw that it was Tom.

“Hello, tour guide,” I said when I answered.

“Good afternoon, miss,” he answered and I couldn’t help but check the time, realizing that it was just past noon. Who knew I could spend so much time in these shops? “I was calling to inquire about your availability.” 

“Well, you’re in luck,” I said. “I’m free today.”

“Good!” Tom said. “I’ll be at your hotel soon, and then I thought we could grab some lunch.”

“Sounds good,” I said, heading out of the shop I was in and back down the sidewalk in the direction of my hotel. “See you soon.”

When my hotel came into view, I noticed Tom’s car as he pulled up to the sidewalk, parking. I waved at him as he got out of the car.

“Good timing,” I said.

“What were you up to?” he asked, smiling at me.

“Just looking around, doing some shopping,” I said, holding up the few bags that were in my hand.

“Get anything good?” 

“A few things,” I said. “I just want to bring these up to my room before we go anywhere.”

“Okay,” he said, following me into the hotel. I noticed Elizabeth was working now, and she smiled at me as we walked by. I made a mental note to talk to her some time. She seemed nice and it might be fun to have another female to talk to while I was here.

“Do anything interesting this morning?” I asked once we were in the elevator.

“Not especially,” he said, smiling down at me. “Just working on getting some movie deals. You know, the usual.”

“Oh yes, the usual,” I said, smirking.

When we got into my room, we went inside and I carried my shopping bags into the bedroom, setting them down against the nearest wall. When I turned around to leave, I jumped, not realizing that Tom had followed me.

I smiled at him, but before I could make some sort of comment, his mouth was pressed hotly to mine. His hands found my hips, pulling me against him as his tongue broke the barrier of my lips. My arms would around him, palms flat against his back, trying to be closer to him.

This had been unexpected, to say the least, but it was definitely welcome. After a while, Tom pulled away, blue eyes meeting my brown ones.

“Is this alright?” he breathed. I nodded my head. “I’m just not used to this type of situation so I don’t really know what the rules are.”

“It’s simple,” I said. “No romance, no feelings. We’re not a couple. We’re just two people who enjoy hanging out and getting laid.”

His hand reached up, brushing some hair out of my face before he smiled.

“That seems easy enough,” he said.

“You’d think,” I said. “But I’ve found people who can’t follow the rules before.”

“And what happens to those people?”

“I don’t see them anymore,” I said. Before he could ask any more questions, I pressed my lips to his. He responded immediately and it wasn’t much longer after that that we fell in a heap on the bed, clothes lost and forgotten as hands ran over skin.

My fingernails dragged down Tom’s back as he moved inside of me, my teeth digging into my bottom lip in an attempt to stop the stream of profanities that wanted to escape from my mouth. Tom’s breath fell hot and heavy against my throat, and my mouth fell open when I felt his teeth scraping against the sensitive flesh.

When we were both finished, Tom collapsed on top of me for a moment before pulling out and moving to lay beside me.

“So, how about lunch?” I asked once I had regained some control of my breathing.

\---

“Where are you taking me?” I asked as Tom led me through London.

“You’ll see,” he said, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. 

We’d eventually gotten ourselves out of bed and had gone to a nearby café for some lunch. Now here we were, somewhere in London going to some mysterious location that Tom insisted we go to. I imagined it wasn’t something huge, just because we were walking instead of driving. I didn’t know if there were any tourist attractions right near my hotel.

My suspicions were confirmed when we stopped in front of a movie theater. I glanced at Tom, giving him a questioning look.

“You said you hadn’t been to a movie theater in a long time, and I figured that needed to be changed,” he said, smiling. I rolled my eyes, but smiled back as well.

“What movie are we seeing?” I asked.

“Whatever you want,” he said. He pointed to where the movies were posted with the movie times. I looked through the list.

“I don’t know what any of these are about,” I said. “You just pick something. I think I can trust you with picking out a decent movie.”

I followed Tom to the window to get the tickets for whatever movie he had decided on before heading to the snacks where we got some popcorn (not too much though because we had just had lunch). According to him it was necessary to buy popcorn when you go to the movies, and I couldn’t argue with that. It was delicious.

When we entered the theater for our movie I looked around, noticing there was no one there.

“When does the movie start?” I asked, as we took two seats in the back.

“Soon,” he said, checking his watch. 

“Well, I hope no one shows up last minute,” I said. “They might not be able to find a seat.”

I smiled at Tom and he laughed.

“Yeah, this isn’t a good sign for this movie if no one is here,” he said.

It didn’t take long into the movie to realize why there was no one here.

“This movie sucks,” I said out loud. There was no point in being quiet seeing as it was only Tom and me in the theater.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes. “Do you want to go?”

“Kind of, but I’d feel bad because you paid for this,” I answered.

“We could just make out,” he said, eyes shining as he smirked at me.

“That wouldn’t be considered romantic?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “I’d consider it more of me trying to score.”

“Score?” I asked, laughing. “How old are you now?”

“Shut up,” he said, leaning over the armrest between us and placing his lips upon mine. 

I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue entrance before deciding to fight back a little. He smiled into the kiss as my hand found the back of his neck. My fingers moved into his hair, tugging lightly, eliciting a groan that was just barely audible over the sound of the movie. I tried to get myself a bit closer to Tom, but the armrest was in the way.

I broke the kiss with a frustrated sigh.

“Let’s go,” I said, standing up abruptly.

“Where?” he asked, also standing.

“My hotel,” I answered. “Consider yourself lucky. You’re gonna ‘score.’”


	7. No it's never gonna be that simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that I have finished. I'm currently working on the next one though, so it shouldn't be too long of a wait. Especially if I can get it done tonight, though knowing me, I'm not sure if that will happen. We'll see though.

There was nothing I loved more than spending a lengthy amount of time in bed, especially when there was a man there to keep you company. Of course, normally I didn’t have time to spend more than the needed time for sex in bed with a man, but seeing as I was on vacation there was plenty of time. 

If there was one thing that I enjoyed doing with Tom that didn’t involve sex, it was talking with him. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would continue being friends once this vacation was over.

We spent the evening after the movie theater locked away in my hotel room. We had sex, of course—that had been my original plan. And then we just hung out, talking, watching TV, and ordering room service for dinner. It was fun. Maybe even the most fun I’d had in a while. We eventually fell asleep in my bed. This whole letting a man spend the night in my bed thing was kind of new. Normally I’d kick out whoever I was sleeping with when I was done with him. I guess Tom was the exception; I didn’t mind him being around.

I awoke the next morning to Tom shaking me gently.

“Are you ever going to get up?” he questioned, standing next to the bed and smiling down at me.

“Hey, this is my vacation,” I mumbled sleepily, before yawning. I sat up slowly, trying to rub the sleep from my eyes before looking at the clock (It was 8 a.m.!) and then back up at Tom. “Why are you up so early?”

“Habit,” he said. “I thought we could go get some breakfast and then if you wanted I could show you where I live so I can change my clothes.”

“Is it normal for tour guides to show people their homes?” I asked, slowly getting out of bed. I really wasn’t a morning person if I was being honest.

“Is it normal for people to sleep with their tour guides?” Tom asked in return. I glared at him, but he just smiled.

“Touché,” I said before rolling my eyes. I got dressed quickly and then left the hotel with Tom.

After a quick breakfast at a nearby café, we got into Tom’s car and headed through London to his apartment.

Once we had arrived and actually entered his apartment, I couldn’t help but be impressed. It was probably one of the nicest apartments I had been in. Of course, this was Tom’s apartment and he just happened to star in several movies. 

Tom went to his bedroom to change his clothes, saying he’d give me a tour in a minute. I stood in the room we had entered into, which was the living room, and marveled at just how spacious it was. My apartment now seemed cramped in comparison.

“Okay, time for the tour of my home,” Tom said as he entered the room, now wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. He showed me each of the rooms, kitchen, bathroom, guest bedroom, and then last, his own bedroom.

“Did you end at your own bedroom on purpose?” I asked. 

“And why would I do something like that on purpose?” he asked.

“Oh I don’t know,” I said, meeting his gaze with my own. “Maybe trying to hint at something.”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” he said, stepping past me into the hallway. 

“If you say so,” I said. I entered his bedroom and sat down on the huge bed, Tom glancing behind him to see that I had not followed him back down the hallway. He smirked as I bounced lightly on the bed. “This feels comfortable.”

“You want to test it out?”

“Oh, now you’re being obvious,” I said, standing up and placing my hands on my hips. He came into the bedroom to stand in front of me. Without another word, he tilted his head down slightly to capture my lips with his.

\---

Later, when I had fully experienced just how comfortable Tom’s bed was (several times, I might add), I reluctantly climbed from Tom’s arms and started getting dressed. Tom watched me silently until I was pulling my jeans up.

“Are you leaving?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t do sleepovers.”

“But I’ve stayed over in your hotel room,” he said. I shrugged.

“It’s different,” I said. “I don’t really know the best way to explain it, but for me it’s just… I don’t like staying the night in other people’s beds. And normally, I don’t let guys stay the night in my bed.”

“So I was the exception?”

“Don’t tell anyone,” I said, smiling at him. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“No,” he said. “I have an audition and I have to meet with a few people. Do you want a ride back to your hotel?”

“No thanks, I’ll just call a taxi,” I said. I walked to the door to his bedroom and turned to look at him. “See you later.”

\---

The next day, I was on my way back to my room from an afternoon of shopping when I noticed that Elizabeth was working yet again.

“Hey,” I said, smiling at her as I stopped near the desk.

“Hello,” she said, smiling back at me. “Sarah, right?”

I nodded my head.

“How are you enjoying your stay?” Elizabeth asked.

“I’m having such a good time,” I said. “I’m glad I decided to take a vacation.”

“Most people are,” she said in reply.

“So, listen,” I said. “I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but I could totally use some girl time, and you seem nice enough. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out this evening. We could get drinks and gossip. Wow… I think I’m sounding kind of creepy right now.”

Elizabeth laughed.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “And I’d love to have ‘girl time.’ I can get a hold of some of my friends too if you want.”

“That sounds great,” I said. “It’s kind of difficult to have a lot of fun when you know practically no one.”

“I understand,” she said. “Want to meet outside here around 10 tonight?” 

“That sounds great,” I said. “See you then.”

I smiled to myself once I was back in my room. I couldn’t help it. That had gone so much better than I had thought it would. Maybe when I got back home I’d try and actually make some friends there.


	8. And it's not enough to tell me that you care

I checked my reflection in the full length mirror in the bedroom of my hotel room, making sure that my outfit looked alright. I couldn’t help but feel nervous and excited all at the same time. I know that I barely knew Elizabeth and I certainly didn’t know her friends, but she seemed nice enough. Plus I just had this gut feeling that tonight was going to be fun. It wasn’t often I got to do things like this.

Smoothing my hands over the short, emerald green dress I was wearing (I may or may not have been thinking of Tom when I recently purchased it), I felt satisfied with my appearance. I grimaced slightly at the black heels I had on, knowing it wouldn’t be long until I would regret wearing them.

I picked up my clutch, sliding my cell phone along with some money into it before heading to the door. I still had some time before Elizabeth and her friends would arrive, but I figured I would head down now just in case. 

Just as I got off the elevator, I saw Elizabeth walking through the front door of the hotel into the lobby and obviously looking around for me. When she saw me she smiled.

“You look fantastic,” she said.

“Thanks, so do you,” I said.

“Thanks,” she said. “I hope you’re ready for a fun night. I was able to snag two friends of mine to join us and they are currently waiting in a taxi outside.”

“Sounds good,” I said, following her back outside and to a waiting taxi. Elizabeth opened the back door of the cab and I could see a red head and a blonde sitting together in the back seat, laughing about something. They smiled when they saw us and waved. I waved shyly back.

“I’ll sit in the front,” Elizabeth said, as I slid into the back seat with the two girls and Elizabeth sat up front. She told the driver the name of some club I didn’t catch and he pulled away from the curb. Elizabeth turned around so she could look at us and pointed at the red head and then the blonde. “Sarah, this is Jenny and this is Claire.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” I said, smiling at the two of them. They smiled back, reciprocating my own sentiments.

“I hope you’re ready for a crazy night,” Jenny, the red head, said. “Claire knows one of the bartenders at this club so we can probably get some free shots or drinks.”

\---

Jenny had not been lying; the drinks were free and plentiful as Claire spent the night flirting with one of the bartenders, leaning over the bar to give him a good view of her cleavage.

Tom had texted me earlier to see what I was up to and I had told him what club we had gone to in case he wanted to drop by. My phone was long forgotten though, tucked away inside my clutch that was currently behind the bar with Claire’s friend.

Once the drinks had started flowing, I really hit it off with Jenny and Elizabeth, laughing over stupid things and dancing amongst the throng of people.

Jenny had just been pulled away from us by a random guy, the two of them dancing together when Elizabeth moved towards me.

“That guy over there is checking you out,” she said, loud enough for me to barely hear over the music. I looked in the direction that she had indicated and saw a blonde guy at the bar staring at us. Feeling brave from the alcohol I smiled and gave him a small wave. He grinned back at me and I turned around to smile at Elizabeth. Her eyes met mine and her smile widened. “He’s coming over… and with a friend.”

A moment later, I felt an arm circle around my waist from behind, a hand laying flat against my stomach as my body was pulled against another. I turned my head, resting it on the strangers shoulder as he smiled down at me, grinding his hips against my ass. His friend had gotten a hold of Elizabeth and they were in their own world now.

I danced for a few songs with the stranger until finally I turned around to face his front.

“You’re really beautiful,” he said loudly as he leaned towards me.

“Thank you,” I said loudly, smiling up at him. He smiled back before leaning closer, his hand finding the small of my back before his lips were on mine.

I had just parted my lips to allow his tongue further exploration, when I felt myself being pulled away from him. 

Startled, I looked behind me, surprised to see Tom standing there, looking angry. And because I was drunk, I felt myself grow angry too, and I ripped my arm from Tom’s grasp before swinging my arm, my hand making contact with Tom’s face. 

Before I could register the shock on Tom’s face as well as the bystander’s faces, I turned and stormed out of the club.

I was walking quickly down the sidewalk, the thumping of the club’s music now just background noise when I heard quick footsteps behind me.

“Sarah!” Tom called. A moment later I felt his hand on my shoulder, stopping me and spinning me around. I stumbled slightly from the alcohol and the heels I was wearing.

“Leave me the fuck alone,” I spat, glaring at him.

“Just talk to me, please,” he said. “Why are you so angry?”

“Why am [i]I[/i] so angry?” I asked. “Why were you so angry back there?”

“I didn’t like that guy kissing you,” he said.

“Exactly,” I said. “This is not how this works. You are not supposed to care what I do. We are just [i]fucking[/i]. In fact, we haven’t been fucking for very long, yet here we are and you’re already showing me you can’t handle this.”

“Sarah, please,” he said. “Can we just… I don’t know, discuss this a bit more calmly or maybe when you’re sober.”

“No,” I said. “We’re talking about this now. You need to understand that if you are having any feelings that are getting in the way of this being a casual thing, then this can’t continue. If I want to go out and kiss other guys and maybe bring them back to my room to fuck them, then you need to be fine with that. Are you going to be able to handle that?”

Tom was silent, watching me intently for a moment. I felt on edge, hoping that somehow he would be fine with this. I liked spending time with him, but I knew if this was going to be difficult for him, we probably wouldn’t be spending much time together.

“I… I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this anymore, then,” Tom said slowly, eyes meeting mine. I could tell this hadn’t been an easy choice for him.

“Then it was nice knowing you, Tom,” I said quietly after a moment. I walked past him, heading back to the club. 

When I got back inside the club, the guy I had been kissing was by the bar.

“You want to come back to my place?” he asked. I leaned against the bar next to him.

“Sure,” I answered after thinking about it for a minute. He smiled at me and I got the bartender to give me my clutch.

There was no turning back now.


	9. I hate to see your eyes get darker as they close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be ending soon. I will try and not take too long to update this time!

When I woke up the next morning, in an unfamiliar bed with a guy whose name I was pretty sure I didn’t know, I felt physically sick for the first time in my life. I knew it was early in the morning, the sun was just barely rising casting a dull orange glow around the room. 

Carefully and quietly I crawled out of the bed, thankful that this guy was not a cuddler. My head spun slightly from the alcohol I had consumed as I stumbled around the room, collecting my scattered clothes. When I was dressed, I grabbed my clutch and my heels and tiptoed out of the apartment and went to the elevator. I slipped my shoes on as I waited for it.

When I finally made it to the street I realized that we weren’t far from the club we had gone too. I pulled out my cell phone to try and call a cab since there were none around and saw I had a missed call and a voice mail from Tom.

Despite the pit in my stomach I listened to the message, walking down the street a bit in case the stranger I had just left woke up and decided to see if I had gotten very far.

“I’m very sorry about last night, Sarah,” the message started, Tom’s voice soft in my ear. “I know I walked away from this, but I would still like to talk to you. Call me if you want… or don’t. It’s up to you. I just… You’re an amazing and beautiful woman. I really hope you call back. If not, I understand.”

Without thinking I saved the voicemail before hanging up the phone. After a moment, unsure of what else to do at this moment, I called for a cab and returned to my hotel.

The first thing that I did when I returned to my room is a take a shower; a nice, long, hot shower. I didn’t want to admit it to myself but for once I felt dirty for sleeping with someone that I barely knew. I didn’t even know that guy’s name… Although I’m not sure why that would bother me so much. This wasn’t the first time that I couldn’t remember a guy’s name that I had slept with. 

I hated to admit it to myself, but I had sneaking suspicion that the reason I felt so horrible was because I felt bad for how I had treated Tom the night before. He was probably just trying to help, but then there was the whole thing with him not being okay with me going off with a stranger. 

Maybe I should talk to him… it seemed like we both needed to sort out our own positions on the situation. Mostly I needed to know if he was developing feelings for me and at least give him the courtesy of a proper goodbye rather than me screaming at him, drunk, in the middle of the night on a random sidewalk. He was too good for that.

After my shower I got dressed and braided my hair before I called Tom back. He agreed to meet me at the pub where we had first met in an hour.

Part of me wished that we could have met a bit sooner, even though an hour wasn’t that long. It just seemed to drag on longer than I would have liked. I fidgeted with my appearance, undoing the braid in my hair before deciding to keep it braided.

When 45 minutes had passed I decided to head over to the pub. It was early afternoon when I arrived so it wasn’t busy. I found a booth in the back corner and sat there. Immediately a waitress came over and asked if I wanted anything but I declined, too nervous to eat or drink anything. I wiped my palms on my pants realizing my hands were a bit on the sweaty side. 

Finally Tom arrived and he gave me a small smile when he saw me, which I immediately returned. He sat across from me, his eyes moving across my face. I felt like he could see right through me, and see what I had done. Knew I had slept with that guy after blowing him off. 

And for some reason, though I knew I did nothing wrong (it just felt like I had), I burst into tears. I pressed my hands against my face as body shook and I gasped for air. This was going worse than I expected. Tom must have moved to sit next to me, because the next thing I knew I felt a pair of arms wrapping around me.

“It’s fine, Sarah,” he said quietly. “There’s no need to be upset.”

I pushed away from him, sliding over on the bench to put space between Tom and me.

“This isn’t fine though,” I said, trying to keep the volume of my voice down. “I’m nearly hysteric… and why? Because I fucked some guy that wasn’t you?”

I saw the hurt flash across Tom’s eyes as I said it and I shut my eyes so I could get through this and say what I needed to say.

“I told you when this started it couldn’t be a serious thing,” I said.

“Why?” he questioned. “Why are you so opposed to attempting a relationship?”

“It just wouldn’t work,” I answered, opening my eyes to meet his steady gaze.

“And how do you know it wouldn’t work if you’ve never tried?”

“These things just never work out. Relationships are pointless; they’re just going to end at some point and everyone will end up hurt.”

“I’m sorry that you feel that way,” Tom said quietly after a moment. “In my opinion, relationships aren’t pointless. Sure they may not all work out, but you can’t know whether or not it’s going to stick unless you give it a shot. And as for getting hurt, we may not have been in a typical relationship and this may have just been a fling, but it’s obvious to me that right now we’re both hurting. You can avoid relationships all you want, but all it’s going to leave you with is loneliness for the rest of your life. I want to give this a shot, but if it’s something you’re truly not interested in, I’ll leave you alone.”

I sniffled, my head bent as I gazed down at the table. I wiped hastily at my eyes wishing so much that I would stop crying. I had never felt so hurt in my life. But this wasn’t me… this wasn’t who I was. I didn’t let a guy make me feel like utter shit and tear out my heart… My heart shouldn’t even be involved. I shut my eyes tightly to fight off a fresh round of sobs.

“I’m sorry,” I said, quietly, turning away from Tom slightly as I pressed my palms against my eyes. “I can’t do this.”

I heard Tom sigh before sliding out of the booth. When I heard the bell on the door of the pub jingle as it opened and closed, I knew Tom was gone. I let out the sobs I had been holding back even though I was alone in a pub in the middle of the day by myself. I didn’t care anymore.


	10. You're giving me such sweet nothing

Suddenly I no longer wanted to be in London. I wanted to be home, I wanted to work, I wanted to have casual sex and forget about Tom.

It wasn’t as difficult as I had thought to get the airline to change my flight to an earlier departure date than I had originally planned. In fact, the day after Tom and I had our failed meeting I was on a plane ready to head home. I let out a sigh and tried to relax in my seat and not think about Tom.

When I was finally back home, I was happy to be back in my apartment, even if it was cluttered and small—it was my home. I had been gone for just about a week, but it felt like so much longer. 

I laughed when I collapsed in my bed. What had gone so wrong that a guy could get so attached to me in less than seven days? He must be insane.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, and when I woke up I realized it was quite late, and that there would be no hope for me sleeping on a normal schedule tonight. My stomach grumbled loudly and I made my way to the kitchen to see if I had any food, but found only a stale box of crackers. Sighing, I pulled out my cell phone and called a local pizza place. 

Once my pizza was ordered I scrolled through my contacts and out of habit called Colin. I guess if anything I could fill myself up with pizza and then follow that up with some great sex. Pizza and sex would have to make me feel better—I mean, they were two great things, both of which I always usually thoroughly enjoyed.

“Hey stranger,” Colin said over the phone when he picked up. “How’s London?”

“It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, so I came home early,” I said in response.

“Uh oh,” he said. “What happened?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said, fiddling with some papers on the counter in my kitchen. “Want to come over and eat some pizza?”

“ _Just_ eat some pizza?”

“There will be sex, too,” I said, laughing.

“Well then count me in,” he said. “I’ll be over soon.”

\---

One great thing about Colin was that he only lived about a block over, so it didn’t take him long to arrive at my apartment. When he arrived, he pulled me into a hug that included a butt grab.

“Hey!” I said, jumping when I felt his hand.

“What?” he asked, sheepishly. “I missed that ass.”

I rolled my eyes.

“So where’s the pizza?” he asked. I pointed to the kitchen and followed him in there, picking up my plate where there was already a half-eaten slice. 

We ate in silence for a few minutes before Colin started talking again.

“Are you going to tell me why you came home a week early?”

I rolled my eyes again.

“I was just fooling around with this guy there, and he just wanted too much from me,” I answered, shrugging.

“I don’t know why you don’t just find a nice guy and settle down,” Colin said, grabbing another slice of pizza.

“I’d have to give up sex with you,” I replied, jokingly.

“And that would be a pity,” he answered, grinning at me.

When I was full, I put my plate in the sink and grabbed a glass of water and watched Colin finish up his pizza. When he was done, he put his plate in the sink with mine, before coming over to me and taking the glass of water from my hand, gulping down some of the water before setting it on the counter.

Colin leaned in quickly and kissed me, immediately drawing my body against his. From the kitchen, we quickly worked our way to my bedroom, clothes being discarded along the way before we finally fell naked into my bed.

\---

Colin had no trouble falling asleep when we were done, but because I had taken such a long nap earlier, I lay awake, staring into the darkness. Sex with Colin, as usual, had been great, but what should have felt comfortable and familiar, now felt unfamiliar. 

I found myself suddenly thinking of Tom, wondering what he would do if he knew I had just had sex with yet another guy who wasn’t him. 

Angrily, I rubbed my eyes with my hands. I didn’t want to think about Tom. I didn’t want to feel anything remotely like regret or hurt in regards to any guy.

I rolled over in bed, and carefully felt for Colin’s face, leaning over him to press my lips to his, biting at his lip to wake him up. He responded slowly, lips moving lazily under mine before he slowly rolled us over so he was resting fully on top of my body. Through the dark I could see him smiling languidly at me.

“Ready for round two?” he questioned. I answered with an upward thrust of my hips against his, moving against his growing erection.

It was just the distraction I needed.


	11. This time I'm not leaving without you

But distractions can only last for so long until what you’ve been trying to distract yourself from is staring you in the face—literally.

And of course Colin was there (I may have been indulging in him frequently in the last few days) and I obviously looked like I had just had lots of sex. I’m pretty sure the t-shirt I had hastily thrown on was inside out and backwards and my hair was definitely in a tangled mess. 

But there was Tom, standing in my doorway looking at _me_ in surprise. And before I could even say anything as a way to explain whatever it was I felt the need to explain, Colin came walking out of my bedroom, pulling a shirt on as he did.

He stopped immediately and stared at Tom for a moment before moving his gaze to me.

“I think I’m going to head out…” he said unsurely. I nodded my head and he started moving again. Tom moved out of the way to let Colin by and I waited until I heard him going down the stairs before finally looking back up at Tom.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked hesitantly.

“Sure,” he said. I closed the door once he was inside, but I didn’t make a move for us to go sit down, so we stood there, awkwardly making the occasional eye contact, neither of us knowing where to begin.

“So who was that?” Tom finally asked. And of course he had to start with that.

“Colin,” I said, letting out a deep breath. “He’s…a friend of mine.”

Tom nodded his head and I knew that he knew just what kind of friend he was, if he somehow hadn’t already figured it out.

“May I ask what you’re doing here?” I asked. “It’s not every day a guy I thought I ended things with shows up on my doorstep… especially when said guy lives in London.”

Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” he said. “I feel like I’m chasing something I’ll never catch.”

“Then stop chasing,” I said. “I’m not meant to get caught.”

“And there’s the problem,” he said quietly. “I don’t think you realize how special you are. You push everyone away and don’t let anyone in, yet inexplicably I still managed to get to know you. You’ve showed me your vulnerability, even if it was unintentional, and you’ve showed me that you are more than just this uncaring and unfeeling woman— ”

“Tom—”

“No, let me finish,” he interrupted. “I know that you’re scared of getting hurt. Hell, everyone’s scared of getting hurt. I’m scared of getting hurt. But I think it’s worth the risk to actually get to be with someone, to fill that emptiness that you can just feel in your gut… So I guess… I just came all this way to take a risk, and I’m asking you to take a risk with me.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I whispered. I could feel tears stinging my eyes and I hated what this man had done, and was continuing to do, to me in such a short amount of time.

“Just say yes,” he said, reaching out to take my hand gently in his. “Just give this a chance.”

“What if this doesn’t work out?” I questioned. “What if I just end up getting hurt?”

“That’s life,” Tom shrugged. “You get hurt, you learn from it, you move on. It doesn’t have to be the end all, be all.”

I wiped at my eyes with my free hand and let out a snort of laughter.

“You sound so wise with that British accent,” I muttered.

“So is that a yes?” he asked. I shrugged and Tom squeezed my hand. I looked up at him and our eyes met, and I just felt warm and comforted by the fact that he was here.

“You’re not mad about Colin?” I asked.

“No,” he answered. “Jealous, definitely. But there’s nothing to be mad about.”

“Okay,” I said. I looked down at our hands and then back up at Tom, having made my decision. “So are you going to kiss me now?”

Tom grinned down at me and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine.

And maybe we lived happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! Wow, is that super corny. (At least, I think so). The last line is just to leave it up to your imagination I guess. I thought about adding an "or not" but I didn't want anyone to think that they definitely didn't work out. I figured leaving it this way just left it more up in the air, if that makes sense?
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


End file.
